Oh poor austerity mum

The world is full of Cinderella moments. First the police send all their best-looking princes (aka men with pony tales) undercover to get off with greens. This apparently help our boys in blue reclaim the streets and scale dirty power stations until they suffer Stockholm syndrome. Next the richest women in London go on economy [...]

Nature needs campaigners, for kids’ sake

Lessons about the environment are as important as English and maths. Yes they are. At least that’s what Sir David Attenborough says in the weekend Guardian, here.  How sad Sir David must be to see the cuts the councils are apparently being forced to make. Where I live the nature conservation team is facing dismissal.  So [...]

How do you make kerching or cashless choices?

The irony is that the best gift  bought at Christmas from a shop for me – a mum of two – was Mark Boyle’s book, the Moneyless Man, see http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moneyless-Man-Year-Freeconomic-Living/dp/1851687548. Freeconomic aint daft In the book Mark charts his year of life without using money, an astonishing achievement with plenty of inspiring moments. Admittedly he [...]

Need a holiday?

It’s half term and three of us are staying at home, the absolute best place to be if there are not too many tasks to do. But Lola is off by boat to stay with her friend’s grannie in France for some potato harvesting… (Cross-fingers with the fuel shortages, rubbish non collection, libertie, egalitie and [...]

What’s your party bag tip?

Recently (8 Oct 2010) I spent a happy half an hour on Radio Essex’s afternoon show talking with the friendly Etholle George (standing in for Steve Scruton, 2-4pm) about my book Homemade Kids. She’s got one son, and his 4th birthday is coming up. She’s already invited 25 guests but was agonising over the party bags. For good [...]

Do you do everything?

If that’s you – in charge of everything – then why not organise a few swaps? This post is by Nicola Baird. If you like this post there are loads more ideas in my book Homemade Kids. When your children are very little it feels like you are doing everything – because you are. Unless you [...]

Smart holidaying

Holidays still make me tired! I’m not sure if other families feel this way, but when my children were babies I found holidays away from home exhausting. It’s quite physical (not to mention tiring) looking after little ones but at home at least you’ve got everything in the right place. But if your chidlren are [...]

To pay or not to pay?

Summer holidays are so close now and every day my daughters’ bookbags seem to be filled with a new flyer, booklet even, of all the things they could do. This post is by Nicola Baird. On offer are lovely crafty activities – make a seahorse, make an alien. There are skills – learn to cook [...]

How do you handle free gifts?

I knew when this music-loving teddy was picked for the cover of my new book, Homemade Kids (out on 1 July) that the gorgeous line drawing would soon haunt me.  And on the very weekend that I’m giving a 20 minute speech about the evils of consumerism (exact title: why be a green parent) to mums [...]

What do you buy?

I’ve just spent a happy afternoon in the woods with Clare and her two sons – Conor is four and his little brother Finn, nearly two. Both families brought a picnic – we had hard boiled eggs and bagels, and my friends had soup in a thermos and sandwiches. This post is by Nicola Baird [...]